Written by: Laurence Gamlen – CPAS

1 Samuel 23 v 6-8
(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the holy robe with him when he came to David at Keilah.)
Someone told Saul that David was now at Keilah. Saul said, “God has handed David over to me! He has trapped himself, because he has entered a town with gates and bars.” Saul called all his army together for battle, and they prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men.

Notes
In David, King Saul had discovered someone who was immensely gifted. David had already helped the king out by playing his harp and soothing Saul’s troubled mind (1 Samuel 16 v 23), and by getting rid of the Philistine giant, Goliath (1 Samuel 17). But the king’s gratitude towards David gave way to suspicion, fear and jealousy, especially when he thought that the young David was getting more credit than he was. 

Jealousy had reared its head and Saul was determined to rid himself of his rival. He tried a number of ways to see David dead, and today’s verses tell of Saul’s scheme to finally nail his man. 

Jealousy is a terrible thing. Although I can’t think of a particular time when I have plotted someone’s death through my jealousy, I can think of many occasions when I have burned up with envy. 

When you find yourself turning green with envy and jealous of someone else, look to the example of Jesus and check out his attitude towards others. Paul put it like this: “In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus. Christ himself was like God in everything. But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be used for his own benefit. But he gave up his place with God and made himself nothing. He was born to be a man and became like a servant” (Philippians 2 v 5-7a).

In his jealousy, Saul was intent upon revenge. Although we might not want to kill someone, we can be tempted to take our revenge in other ways by what we might say or do.

Instead, pray for God’s strength to confess our jealousy of others, and then to serve others, with the same attitude as Jesus.

Prayer
Lord God, thank you that in Jesus I have an example of how to live. Please give me insight to recognise my bad attitudes towards others, and also your strength to overcome envy. Amen

1 Samuel 23 v 9-13
David learned Saul was making evil plans against him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the holy robe.” David prayed, “LORD, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul plans to come to Keilah to destroy the town because of me. Will the leaders of Keilah hand me over to Saul? Will Saul come down to Keilah, as I heard? LORD, God of Israel, tell me, your servant!”
The LORD answered, “Saul will come down.”
Again David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?”
The LORD answered, “They will.”
So David and his 600 men left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul found out that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.

Notes
King Saul and David were involved in a desperate game of cat and mouse. The king had become very jealous of David’s abilities and wanted him dead. The chapters leading up to these verses paint the picture of a crazed man who would stop at nothing to see David off the scene.

As soon as David discovered that Saul was plotting against him, he prayed. David needed some answers. We don’t know much about the holy robe that is referred to, but it was used to hear God speak within a particular situation. Clearly David heard God and responded to that. David had liberated Keilah from the Philistines, but he knew that he could not expect any favours from the people if Saul turned up looking for him. Saul’s reputation for bloodshed was such that the townspeople would have saved themselves by handing over David.

David decided to move on, and there was another outcome. Keilah survived and Saul stepped up his search for David.

Sometimes I wonder about the power of prayer. When I find myself in a difficult situation, I know that I can doubt that God is either interested enough or powerful enough to do anything to help. And yet the Bible acts as a continual reminder that God does hear us and that he does respond to us. Situations that are too big for us are not too big for him. A helpful picture for me is when Jesus called Peter to come out to him when he was in a boat (Matthew 14 v 29). As long as Peter looked towards the one who called him, he didn’t sink, but as soon as he looked down and panicked, he started to get very wet.

Keep your eyes fixed upon the one who calls you too.

Prayer
Lord God, when I doubt you, will you please give me a sign of your love and care for me? When I find myself in really tough situations, will you remind me of your power to save and transform things? Amen

1 Samuel 23 v 14-18
David stayed in the desert hideouts and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Every day Saul looked for David, but the LORD did not surrender David to him.
While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul was coming to kill him. But Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and strengthened his faith in God. Jonathan told him, “Don’t be afraid, because my father won’t touch you. You will be king of Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” The two of them made an agreement before the LORD. Then Jonathan went home, but David stayed at Horesh.

Notes
David was on the run. King Saul was after him and wanted him dead. Saul could no longer bear the intense feeling of jealousy that he had for David. To his crazed mind, the only way out of the situation would be David’s death.

Up to this point, David appeared to be just that little bit ahead in his thinking and planning and keeping himself safe. Day after day Saul tried to trap his quarry, but David proved himself to be equal to the task. During these skirmishes, God was looking on, and perhaps just at a time when David’s faith was beginning to flag, God sent him a friend. The friend was, on the face of it, an unlikely choice. It’s funny how God sent the man who had most to lose by David surviving. Jonathan was Saul’s son and heir. With David dead, Saul would succeed his dad, and yet Jonathan was committed to David’s survival and also to his succession to the throne.

Remember that David was a man under pressure. Remember also that God acted in an unlikely way in the choice of a friend. When you are under pressure, look out for God acting for you, perhaps in an unexpected way, or through the most unlikely person befriending you.

Prayer
Lord God, thank you for friends. Sometimes when I get pressured, I isolate myself. Help me to recognise that others are there to help and support. Help me to be supportive of my friends too. Amen

1 Samuel 23 v 19-23
The people from Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and told him, “David is hiding in our land. He’s at the protected places of Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon. Now, our king, come down anytime you want. It’s our duty to hand David over to you.”
Saul answered, “The LORD bless you for helping me. Go and learn more about him. Find out where he is staying and who has seen him there. I have heard that he is clever. Find all the hiding places he uses, and come back and tell me everything. Then I’ll go with you. If David is in the area, I will track him down among all the families in Judah.”

Notes 
The net seemed to be closing in around David. King Saul had received some helpful information from the people of Ziph concerning David’s whereabouts, and Saul had the break that he had been waiting for. The king had grown increasingly restless with the fact that David had avoided both capture and a certain death. The territory that David was now in was uncharted desert land, and the impression that these verses give is that David was being flushed out of the areas that were familiar to him and out towards the desert region in the south.

The people of Ziph were loyal to the king and were happy to assist Saul in locating David. Saul’s response was an interesting one. Perhaps he wasn’t ready to accept their word and needed further proof of David’s whereabouts. Perhaps because of the distorted view he had of things by this time, Saul felt that he could no longer trust anyone to be straight with him. Whatever the reason, Saul appeared not to rush.

Do you find yourself struggling to make the right choice sometimes? Who can you trust to help keep you on track? I have a situation at the moment that is really eating away at me. I know that at some point I will need to do something, but I also know that that time is not just yet. What I have done is shared what is on my mind with just a few Christians whose judgement I trust and whose wisdom I appreciate. It helps me to know that others are involved and are praying for me. 

I hope you have a few wise Christians around you as well, who can help you out. If you don’t, who could fill that role for you?

Prayer
Father God, thank you for those who have helped me in my Christian walk. Thank you for bringing others alongside me when I have needed someone to listen to me. Help me to be open to the fact that you may want me to support someone else’s faith too, and Lord, give me your strength to do it. Amen

1 Samuel 23 v 24-29
So they went back to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maon in the desert area south of Jeshimon. Saul and his men went to look for David, but David heard about it and went down to a rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard that, he followed David into the Desert of Maon.
Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side. They were hurrying to get away from Saul, because Saul and his men were closing in on them. But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are attacking our land!” So Saul stopped chasing David and went to challenge the Philistines. That is why people call this place Rock of Parting. David also left the Desert of Maon and stayed in the protected places of En Gedi.

Notes
There is an element of farce in today’s verses. It reminds me of that classic comic routine seen in children’s shows, where two people somehow keep missing each other by seconds, and the kids in the audience go wild with the excitement of it all. There is the baddie, King Saul, and the goodie, David. Saul was after David, and wanted him dead. He had continued to stalk him through the desert regions. These verses tell us that Saul was closing in on his prey and David was well within his sight. Cue another comic device: the distraction. Just as something dramatic was about to happen, so something unexpected cropped up, and life suddenly lurched off in another direction. I guess that it would never be good news to hear that your kingdom was under attack, but the timing could hardly have been worse for Saul, or better for David, whichever way you look at it.

The distraction of the Philistine attack certainly proved a valuable one for David. I wonder if he saw the hand of God in all of this. David was the one anointed of God to lead his people, and through an unexpected intervention David was given space to escape Saul’s clutches. 

It can be very easy to view distractions as unhelpful occurrences, especially when it means that our precious plans have been messed about. For David, this distraction was literally a lifesaver. Perhaps we need eyes to see the hand of God in the unexpected twists and turns that life throws at us. Scripture tells us that God has great plans for us. Pray that we may recognise them and accept them as his gift to us when they come our way.

Prayer
Lord, I know that I am easily distracted. Help me to recognise your call upon my life, and when I lose the thread, please redirect me so that I can walk in your will and not my own. Amen

1 Samuel 24 v 1-7
After Saul returned from chasing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” So he took 3,000 chosen men from all Israel and began looking for David and his men near the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
Saul came to the sheep pens beside the road. A cave was there, and he went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were hiding far back in the cave. The men said to David, “Today is the day the LORD spoke of when he said, ‘I will give your enemy over to you. Do anything you want with him.’”
Then David crept up to Saul and quietly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. Later David felt guilty because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. He said to his men, “May the LORD keep me from doing such a thing to my master! Saul is the LORD’s appointed king. I should not do anything against him, because he is the LORD’s appointed king!” David used these words to stop his men; he did not let them attack Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went his way.

Notes
The chase was on, and King Saul had the bit between his teeth. Saul's envy of David was seriously out of control. He could think of nothing else except eliminating David. Why else would he assign 3,000 men to the cause? David had a much smaller following, and by chance Saul found himself unwittingly relieving himself in the cave that David and his men were hiding in. That cave must have been some size!

The roles were now reversed. David's men saw this as an opportunity for David to put an end to this saga. I am intrigued to know just how David managed to cut away a bit of Saul’s robe without being detected, but that is what he did. David had gone from being the hunted to becoming the hunter. Again we are reminded that situations and circumstances can quickly move on. David thought quickly and acted with honour. 

I wonder if you find yourself in situations that move as quickly as this one. I can think of a situation recently that had me on the defensive for some time, before quite unexpectedly I found myself on top of the issue and had regained some control. I had a natural instinct to lash out at the person who had made things difficult for me, and I know that my attitude could not be described as being particularly Christ-like.

It’s at times like this that the gift of prayer is crucial. I know I need to cling to the example of Jesus and pray that I may respond in a way that brings him the honour and respect due his Father. An earlier verse in 1 Samuel says this: “I will honour those who honour me, but I will dishonour those who ignore me” (1 Samuel 2 v 30b).

Prayer
Lord God, sometimes I find it hard to keep up with life. Situations change so quickly, and I get confused so easily. Father, please send your Spirit to remind me of how Jesus operated. Give me strength to follow his example. Amen

1 Samuel 24 v 8-10
When David came out of the cave, he shouted to Saul, “My master and king!” Saul looked back, and David bowed face down on the ground. He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when people say, ‘David wants to harm you’? You have seen something with your own eyes today. The LORD put you in my power in the cave. They said I should kill you, but I was merciful. I said, ‘I won’t harm my master, because he is the LORD’s appointed king.’”

Notes
At long last, the chase was over. King Saul had ruthlessly hunted David, driven on by an overwhelming sense of jealousy. Over the last few verses, we have seen the way in which this game of cat and mouse had been played out in the desert regions. Saul had the larger army, but David had managed not only to escape but to gain the advantage. The hunter was now the hunted. David took the opportunity to confront the king, and to assure him that he was an innocent man who had no plans to see Saul harmed. David proved himself to be a skilled and tactful negotiator as he was able to convince Saul that it must have been others who had put it in Saul’s mind to have murderous thoughts about him. David was convinced that mercy would triumph over vengeance and so he spared Saul’s life. And the lessons of this passage for us?

I can think of a couple. David proved himself to be a man of integrity. Christians are to be people of integrity. Christians are to strive towards the wholeness and the roundedness found in Jesus. What we show on the outside must be matched by what is going on inside us. Of course, in later life David was to get things seriously wrong, but the scriptures refer to him as “the kind of man he (God) wants” (1 Samuel 13 v 14). When we disintegrate, God is there to pick up the pieces and rebuild us.

The other lesson is this. God had appointed David to do a work for him. As Christians we are also appointed to do a work for him. Spend time in prayer discovering what God has in mind for you and thank him for it.

Prayer
Father God, thank you that you have called me into your service and that you also equip me for the task you have set for me. Even when I think I can’t cope, you have faith in me. Help me, Lord – I can’t do it on my own. Amen


word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes